
Aerobridge Blunder Delays Qantas for 21 Hours at Sydney Airport

A Qantas A380 was grounded at Sydney Airport after an aerobridge clipped one of its engines on Saturday, delaying a long-haul flight to Johannesburg by nearly 21 hours.
Flight QFA63, scheduled to depart at 9:30am for the 15-hour journey, was at the gate when the aerobridge’s footings hit the top and bottom of one of the plane’s four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.
Engine damage forces passengers off Sydney Airport superjumbo
The A380, which carries about 485 passengers and was around three-quarters full, was removed from service for inspection.
Passengers who had boarded disembarked via the lower deck with no injuries reported.
Qantas investigates A380 incident at Sydney Airport
Qantas said it is investigating the incident.
Qantas Airbus A380-842 hits an aerobridge at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, receiving damage to its engine cowling.
“We’re investigating how an aerobridge made contact with the engine of one of our aircraft,” a Qantas spokesman said.
“The aircraft will be inspected by… pic.twitter.com/gQrjveVzGu
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“The aircraft will be inspected by engineers in Sydney and repaired before returning to service,” the airline said.
“We know flight disruptions are frustrating, and we apologise to our customers for the impact to their travel.”
The rescheduled flight was set to depart at 6:45am but left at 9:47am, according to the website tracker, and is now midway to South Africa.
Passengers affected by the delay were offered hotel accommodation and transport in Sydney.
Sydney Airport did not comment on the collision.
Aerobridges, operated by ground staff, require precise alignment with aircraft doors. Any misjudgements or technical issues can result in significant damage and flight disruptions.
Commenters vent frustrations with Qantas
While some commenters called the incident “embarrassing” and criticised Qantas’ service—pointing to recent issues like a major data leak—others noted such mishaps are often outside an airline’s direct control.
Similar aerobridge accidents raise concerns over gate safety protocols
The incident follows two similar cases at Brisbane Airport this year. In June, a Qantas 737-800’s windscreen shattered when an aerobridge made contact.
A month earlier, an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 struck an air bridge during pushback.
Aviation analysts say rising air traffic is putting more pressure on gate operations. They argue consistent training and maintenance are critical to avoid such mishaps.
For QF63 passengers, the delay meant last-minute changes to travel plans and an extra day in Sydney.
Engineers inspected the engine on Saturday to decide if repairs could be done at the gate or if the aircraft needed moving.
With multiple aerobridge and aviation incidents reported in recent months, questions are growing about the effectiveness of safety protocols and training standards at major airports across the globe.